Reuben Sandwich

This is such a yummy little gourmet type corned beef sandwich.  The perfect quick lunch at home.  The dressing is delicious!  Sauerkraut…dill pickles…swiss cheese…it’s all good.  I used Russian Rye for the bread.

I nabbed this recipe from Cooking Light

Ingredients

• Dressing:
• 1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon chili sauce
• 2 teaspoons finely minced dill pickle
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon grated onion
• Sandwiches:
• 8 (3/4-ounce) slices rye bread
• 3 ounces Swiss cheese, shaved (about 3/4 cup)
• 4 ounces lower-sodium corned beef, thinly sliced (such as Boar’s Head corned beef, top round, cap-off)
• 1 cup organic sauerkraut, drained well

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. 2. To prepare dressing, combine the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well.
3. 3. To prepare sandwiches, place bread slices in a single layer on a heavy baking sheet. Broil bread 1 1/2 minutes or until toasted. Turn bread over; broil for 1 minute or until lightly toasted. Remove 4 slices. Divide cheese evenly among remaining 4 slices, sprinkling it over lightly toasted sides. Broil 1 minute or until cheese melts. Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons dressing over the cheese-coated side of each bread slice; top each serving with 1 ounce corned beef, 1/4 cup sauerkraut, and remaining bread slices. Serve immediately.

Julianna Grimes, Cooking Light
MAY 2012

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 336
• Fat: 19.9g
• Saturated fat: 5.6g
• Monounsaturated fat: 8.1g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 3.6g
• Protein: 14.7g
• Carbohydrate: 24.2g
• Fiber: 3.4g
• Cholesterol: 40mg
• Iron: 1.9mg
• Sodium: 790mg
• Calcium: 212mg

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The Slaw Dog in Woodland Hills

I  bookmarked “The Slaw Dog” from all the great reviews I’ve read on yelp and was equally impressed by the flavors.  Let me first start off by saying I’m a huge “Carney’s” fan and it is my go to hot dog place.  After trying  The Slaw Dog,  I’ve found another great place for hot dogs if I’m not craving my favorite Red Barron Polish Dog from Carneys.  Really great flavor combinations even ones you wouldn’t think would work together.    I had the Rueben Polish Dog, just so much meat happening in that dog, nice spicy sausage along with Pastrami, cheese and sauerkraut.  I just wished they chopped up the pastrami on the dog more better.  I warn you….these are very messy hot dogs and I don’t recommend taking a date there just because I was wearing most of my food as I left the place or long pieces of pastrami was attractively hanging out of my mouth .   I tasted the Thai Dog with Chicken Sausage and it was amazing, the flavors worked out so great together.  Crispy Onion rings, chili fries nice and crisp.  They have 3 tables inside with 4 chairs and about 2 Bar type tables with 2 seats each and than the tables outside that is too hot to sit at.  Located on Ventura Blvd in Woodland Hills.

Ruben Spicy Sausage Dog   (I could only eat half of this)

Thai Chicken Sausage Dog

Chili Fries, Crispy Onion Rings

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Blueberry Picking

Blueberry season is finally here!  We went blueberry picking Memorial Day weekend with some friends and had a blast.  We came out of there with cartons full of big and really sweet tasting berries.

Beautiful Big Blueberries for grabs at $3.75 a pound.  We walked away with 6 pounds…

The little ones enjoyed picking too…

Since I am dieting I have avoided my biggest passion and that is baking. Looking for something to do with Blueberries, check out my recipe for Blueberry scones….scrumptious!

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Hunan Chili King in San Gabriel

We found this magazine that talks about the top 10 Chinese food places in Los Angeles County, and we decided to give this one a try, coming in number 2 on the list was Hunan Chili King located in San Gabriel.  Let me just say, mild is soooo hot!  Careful how you order your food here,  the place is decorated with chili peppers all over the place and with big jars of chili displayed in their display case.  I suppose the hint was there and I missed the mark. The food is good, but I can’t enjoy food that is so spicy that it takes away the taste of the other flavors. We ordered a chicken dish for my daughter that didn’t have any heat and I loved that one the most because I could taste all the flavors.   I’m not big on Chinese Food, this was more of a stop for my husband but this was good… not great and really spicy if your into that.

Chicken Dish

Fish Dish

Eggplant

Lamb

It’s great to go with a group of people to a Chinese Restaurant as you get to try more of what they have.

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Minestrone Soup for a cold and gloomy day :)

Being Pregnant has had my taste buds all out of whack lately, I don’t want or feel for anything.  Lately it feels like I’m only eating meat and I’ve been craving vegetables, so I thought, it’s cold and gloomy out and I want good hearty vegetables in my diet.  I decided to make some homemade Minestrone Soup.  I found this recipe from Tod Wilbur, this guy wanted to remake Olive Gardens version of this soup and though I have never had Olive Garden’s version, it was all the 5 star reviews that got me interested in making this dish.  This soup is so full of goodness, from zuchinni, green beans, carrots, spinach, white and red beans, tomatoes, pasta shells and tasty spices it was exactly what I’ve been looking to eat.  If you’re a vegetarian this is right up your alley! My 3 year old daughter was munching away at the carrots as I was making this dish, and I thought to myself what a  good way to get her to eat vegetables.

Nutritional Value of Green Beans

Given below is the amount of nutrients in 1 cup (125 gm) of green beans:

• Calcium – 57.50 mg
• Copper – 0.13 mg
• Dietary Fiber – 4.00 gm
• Folate – 41.63 mcg
• Iron – 1.60 mg
• Magnesium – 31.25 mg
• Manganese – 0.37 mg
• Omega 3 Fatty Acids – 0.11 gm
• Phosphorus – 48.75 mg
• Potassium – 373.75 mg
• Protein – 2.36 gm
• Tryptophan – 0.03 gm
• Vitamin A – 832.50 IU
• Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) – 0.09 mg
• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) – 0.12 mg
• Vitamin B3 (Niacin) – 0.77 mg
• Vitamin C – 12.13 mg
• Vitamin K – 20.00 mcg
• Calories – 43.75

Health Benefits of Zucchini

• Zucchini helps cure asthma, as it contains Vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties.
• The vegetable is known to help prevent diseases like scurvy and bruising, caused by the deficiency of vitamin C.
• Regular intake of zucchini effectively lowers high homocysteine levels in the human body.
• The vegetable can help prevents risk of having multiple sclerosis (MS).
• Zucchinis have high water content (over 95%), high nutritious value and contain a very low amount of calories, so they make the perfect snack item for people on diet.
• The vegetable contains useful amounts of folate, potassium, and vitamin A, necessary for proper functioning of the human body.
• Zucchini contains Vitamin C and lutein, both of which are known to be good for the eyes.
• The vegetable is a good source of vitamin B6, riboflavin, manganese and a lot of other nutrients.
• Eating zucchini is known to help the body in supporting the arrangement of capillaries.
• Regular consumption of the vegetable can help protect the body against colon cancer.
• Zucchini is believed to be beneficial in preventing heart disease and related symptoms, such as high cholesterol.
• The rind of zucchini contains the nutrient beta-carotene, which is known to be full of antioxidant properties and thus, helps protect cells against oxidation damage.
• The vegetable proves to be a good source of magnesium and phosphorus, the nutrients essential for building and maintaining healthy bones.
• Zucchini is rich in vitamin C, another powerful antioxidant that can provide protection against cardiovascular disease.

Nutrition Benefits of Eating Spinach

• Spinach is very rich in Vitamin A, which makes it beneficial for weak eyes. Any kind of strain on the eyes is reduced to a great extent and the eye muscles are made stronger.
• The thickening and hardening of arteries is prevented due to substances like choline and inositol, which are present in significant amounts to make sure the blood arteries remain healthy.
• Diabetics can particularly benefit from spinach since it is known that eating spinach regularly can stabilize blood sugar and prevent it from fluctuating often. Take a few handfuls of spinach and add 3 cups of water. Place it over low flame for almost an hour till it boils completely and mixes the nutrients in the water. Strain it and allow it to cool. Drink ½ cup daily to stabilize blood sugar.
• A particular substance known as flavonoid is present in spinach which is a powerful anti-oxidant and also has anti-cancer agents like carotenoid, preventing the formation of tumors.
• Spinach is known to be an anti-aging vegetable and reverses age related breakdowns, making you youthful and fresh. It also has a good amount of Vitamin K which helps in the clotting of blood in case of injuries.

 

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Chinese Chicken Salad With Peanut Dressing

I love Peanut Butter, so this was really good.  It had a nice combination of sweet and spice.  I got this recipe from All Recipes.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon hot chile paste
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 16 (3.5 inch square) wonton wrappers, shredded
• 4 cups romaine lettuce – torn, washed and dried
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. To prepare the dressing, whisk together the hoisin sauce, peanut butter, brown sugar, chili paste, ginger, vinegar and sesame oil.
2. Grill or broil chicken until cooked, cool and slice.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). Spray a large shallow pan with nonstick vegetable spray, arrange shredded wontons in a single layer and bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool.
4. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, wontons, lettuce, carrots, green onions and cilantro. Toss with dressing and serve.

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Shredded Pork Tacos

Pork smothered in spices and slowly cooked for 6 hours.  The meat was so tender it literally fell off the bone.

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Fun Food Facts: All about Nuts

More fun food facts: All About Nuts

Nuts have a reputation for being unhealthy due to their fat and oil content, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Saturated fats, which are found in mass quantities in junk food, can lead to high cholesterol and heart problems. Nuts, on the other hand, contain unsaturated fats and only a minimal amount of saturated fats.

Certain types of nuts are even known to reduce the risk of heart disease, are high in omega-3 fatty acids which increase brain function, and have no cholesterol. Nuts that are fresh or simply dry roasted, without salt, butter or other additives, are a great addition to anyone’s healthy diet–as long as nut allergies aren’t present.

Almonds

1. With their brown, textured skin and mild flavor, almonds have the most vitamin Eand calcium of all tree nuts, and the least amount of calories: 160 per serving, along with cashews and unsalted pistachios. Twenty to 24 almonds equal one serving, according to the Fruit and Nut Council (see below for link).

Brazil Nuts

2. There are six to eight Brazil nuts in a single serving. They contain 25 percent of the daily value of magnesium, and hundreds of times more than the recommended daily value of selenium, which works as an antioxidant in the body, improving organ function and protecting cells from free radical damage. Selenium has been known to help people with AIDS/HIV, because it is an immunodeficient disease, attacking cells in the body. Selenium can help prevent a further deterioration of the cells (see link for more information).

Cashew Nuts

3. Cashews, like peanuts, are low in calories: 160 per serving. There are 16 to 18 cashews per serving. Cashews contain the most iron of all tree nuts, with 10 percent of the daily value per serving. They’re also high in copper and phosphorous.

Pecans

1. Pecans have the most calories per serving of all tree nuts: 200, and they offer plenty of nutritional value to keep you healthy. They contain only 2 g of saturated fat, which is actually lower than many tree nuts. They contain 60 percent of the daily value of manganese and 10 percent of thiamin; nutrients that are good for helping the body absorb vitamin C and fight free radicals, and improve circulation. Eighteen to 20 pecan halves equal one serving.

Peanuts

2. Peanuts are actually a legume, not a nut, but they are regularly lumped into the nut category. There are 166 calories in a serving, which is 1 oz. of peanuts. Peanuts contain 13 percent of the daily value of protein, and 19 percent of the daily value of riboflavin, or vitamin B2, which is helpful in cellular function.

Macadamia nuts have the most saturated fat of all nuts, but 80 percent of their fat content is monounsaturated, which has been shown to lower triglycerides and have beneficial effects on LDL and HDL cholesterol.

When to grab a handful: At breakfast. “They contain fiber, protein, and healthy fats, meaning they will help your breakfast stick with you for longer-lasting energy,” says Upton.

Pistachios are particularly good for keeping your eyes healthy, thanks to significant amounts of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which are stored in the retina and help maintain good vision.

When to grab a handful: Postworkout. Besides helping eyesight, pistachios are loaded with protein, which helps muscles recover. “An ounce has as much protein as an egg,” says Upton.

Walnuts are very high in omega-3 alpha-linoleic acid, which helps stop inflammation in the body and prevents coronary heart disease.

When to grab a handful: With a steak dinner. “They’ve been shown to reduce the injury that a high-fat meal does on your arteries,” says Dr. Robert Vogel, chief medical director at Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa.

Pine nuts are delicious little treats that can be sprinkled on salads or added to a wide variety of recipes. You can also bake salmon with grapeseed oil and add a few pine nuts on top for a healthy meal. Pine nuts come from varioustrees such as the Korean pine, Siberian pine, Swiss Stone Pine and the common Pinyon Pine. Each tiny nut is packed full of nutrients and good fats. Pine nuts are usually harvested by hand at various times throughout the year. They may be purchased raw, shelled or roasted. Raw pine nuts should be refrigerated to maintain freshness.

Antioxidants

1. Pine nuts are loaded with beneficial antioxidants. Antioxidants are megavitamins that help protect cells from free radical damage. Free radical damage happens naturally as we age, but it can also be accelerated by diet, stress and other factors. Pine nuts contain a long list of antioxidants from Vitamin A to Vitamin E (see link in References.)

Fiber

2. One oz. of pine nuts contains about 1 g of fiber. Fiber helps improve digestive health by removing toxins and keeping bowel movements regular. Eating a diet high in fiber has been shown to reduce constipation and hemorrhoids. Fiber helps maintain a clean colon by preventing waste back up on the walls of the colon. Fiber from nuts is easy for the body to assimilate (see link in References).

Oleic Acid

3. Pine nuts contain large concentrations of oleic acid. This is a beneficial monounsaturated fat that helps to control cholesterol levels by removing triglycerides from the body. Triglycerides contribute to heart disease so it is important to consume foods and supplements that help to improve heart health by controlling triglycerides. Oleic acid is an Omega-9 fatty acid that was used in Lorenzo’s Oil. The scientific term for ALD is adrenoleukodystrophy; it is a degenerative myelin disorder. Myelin is essential because it coats the nerves with a protective insulation that helps maintain normal body functions. The oleic acid found in Lorenzo’s Oil helps to slow down the effects of the disease.

Vitamin K

4. Pine nuts contain high levels of certain vitamins such as Vitamin K, which is important for blood clotting and bone health. Vitamin K is fat soluble, meaning that this vitamin is also present in fat tissues and utilized through the fat. Vitamin K helps to relieve menstrual cramps and improve circulation. One cup of pine nuts contains about 72 mcg Vitamin K.

Lutein

5. Another important antioxidant found in pine nuts is lutein. Lutein has been shown to improve vision and eye health. A small amount of lutein is found in the macula of the eye. The macula is the area of the retina that controls central vision. The theory is that lutein is contained here because this antioxidant helps to prevent oxidative stress from bright lights. One cup of pine nuts contains about 9 mcg of lutein.

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Fun Food Facts: The Spaniards were the first to discover the Tortilla

I don’t have my camera currently so I have not updated this food blog for that reason….

Food Facts are fun…

The word “tortilla” originally comes from the Spanish word torta, which means “round cake”.^[1] When Spanish explorers discovered an unleavened flatbread made by the Aztecs, they called it tortilla (little torta).

466 years of flour tortilla history in 2008

^{[citation needed]}

- 1542 The Spaniards introduced the planting of wheat, and due to not finding the necessary ingredients to produce bread, the Spanish that were living in Sonora began to manufacture the zaruki, a cracked wheat mixed with water, which then became a flour tortilla.

- 1849 The flour tortilla appears in the northern states of Mexico and Texas in a dish made from flour tortillas filled with meat, then receives the name of burritos.

- 1947 Romana Acosta Bañuelos, from Jalisco, founds La Tapatia, in San Antonio, Texas, the first brand of flour tortillas in the United States. They were prepared by hand.

- 1972 Villamex registered the first patent for the machine to make the flour tortilla industrialized.

- 1983 Self-service shops made of specific facilities in the country are beginning to sell flour tortillas.

- 1983 The flour tortilla comes to Europe. They begin to be commercialized in England.

- 1984 President Miguel de la Madrid refused to support the production of the Mexican tortilla flour fortified with soybean as a food option.

- 1993 China begins to manufacture the Mexican flour tortilla.

Due to the widespread popularity of Mexican and Southwestern cuisines, tortillas have become very popular in United States. Tortillas are more popular today in the U.S. than all other ethnic breads, including bagels, English muffins and pita bread.^[8]

Tortillas have found their place in the American mainstream diet, where they now serve as substitutes for traditional meals such as hot dogs, lasagna, pitas, sandwiches and pizza. Tortillas can be used to hold a variety of fillings, used as food scoops, toasted and topped with salad, or served hot and plain.^[9]

The Tortilla Industry Association (TIA) estimates the retail tortilla category is a $2.12 billion market in the U.S.

Sixty-two percent of food industry suppliers—both commercial and non-commercial—reported using tortillas in their operations.

As a solution to both the problems of handling food in microgravity and preventing bread crumbs from escaping into delicate instruments, wheat flour tortillas have been used on many NASA Shuttle missions since 1985, because they produce fewer crumbs than bread.

Wikipedia

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Meridian Petite Syrah 2006 Limited Release

Excellent bottle of wine! One of my favorites right up there with the Malbec.    Friends of ours ran a half marathon up in Paseo Robles while they were there they picked us up a bottle of this fabulous wine.

It is a Limited Release Petite Syrah 2006

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